My life as a degenerate

The most commonly known symptom of Parkinson's disease is the resting tremor. The other main symptoms are:

• slowness
• rigidity of movement
• loss of balance

These are the main motor symptoms of Parkinson's. But the disease affects other areas too. Here is a quick list of mainly non-motor symptoms:

• depression
• anxiety
• psychosis
• lack of motivation (Parkinson's apathy)
• difficulty with swallowing and chewing
• drooling
• loss of sense of smell
• speech changes
• constipation
• urinary problems
• skin problems
• problems regulating heat and cold
• vision problems
• sleep problems
• dementia
• other cognitive problems
• weight loss or gain
• breathlessness
• drop in blood pressure when standing after sitting
• edema (fluid swelling)
• muscle cramps
• dystonia (muscle contractions)
• masked face
• pain
• fatigue and loss of energy
• sexual dysfunction
• decreased libido
• impulsive behaviors (as side-effects of medication)

So far, I am having to deal with some of these symptoms, as my medication doesn't fix all of them. In particular:

• anxiety
• apathy and lack of motivation
• trouble swallowing
• need to chew small mouthfuls
• drooling during sleep
• loss of sense of smell
• soft voice
• bladder urgency
• mild cognitive problems
• swollen ankles in hot weather
• muscle tension (and trigger points)
• some cramping in my feet
• masked face
• trouble functioning in the heat
• fatigue

Articles of interest

Parkinson's Disease: Hope Through Research - detailed explanation of causes, symptoms, treatment and research

Symptoms article by Parkinson's Disease Foundation - describes primary motor, secondary motor and non-motor symptoms, and how to deal with them